Chapters 3 - 6 Flashcards
what are Earth’s 4 spheres
- lithosphere (solid)
- hydrosphere (liquid)
- atmosphere (gas)
- biosphere (all of it)
T/F: Earth is a dynamic planet.
True, our 4 spheres make it dynamic
how do the different spheres interact with one another
through biogeochemical cycles
which originated first: lithosphere or hydrosphere
lithosphere (~ 4 billion years ago, hydrosphere ~3.8 billion years ago)
T/F: the spheres do not interact closely with one another
false, they interact very closely with one another through biogeochemical cycles
what are the gases in our atmosphere
nitrogen and oxygen
how much of Earth’s water is accessible
0.0015%
What is uniforimitarianism
the present is the key to past (rocks now can tell us the story of the going ons in the past)
what are the 3 types of rock
- igneous
- metamorphic
- sedimentary
what is igneous rock
product of magma and contains crystals
what is sedimentary rock
a product of sedimentation and weathering
what is metamorphic rock
rock that got put under extreme heat and pressure
which sphere do our tectonic plates reside in
lithosphere
what are divergent boundaries
the plates move away from each other (forms things like ocean ridges)
what are convergent boundaries
plates move toward each other (forms things like mountains, volcanoes, tenches)
what are transform boundaries
plates slide against each other (earthquakes)
what is another term for transform boundaries
strike-slip boundaries
what are fossils
remnants of life found within sedimentary rock and provides clues about the history Earth
what are trace fossils
fossils that show glimpses of an organism’s behaviors (Such as footprints or burrows)
what is fossil succession
shows the vertical record of life over a period of evolutionary history
what does radiometric dating do
uses the known radioactive decay of materials to accurately date a sample
what are the different eras
- Precambrian
- Paleozoic
- Mesozoic
- Cenozoic
What period/era are we currently in
anthropocene
what is a population
a group of organisms of the same species living in the same era
what is ecology
the study of organisms and how they interact with one another and their physical environment
law of minimum
growth is limited by the resource of shortest supply
when does competition occur
occurs when organisms require the same limited resource
what are the different types of competition
exploitative and interference
what is exploitative competition
both have equal access to the same resource
what is interference competition
when one prevents the other from gaining access
what are the 3 types of predators
herbivore, carnivore, omnivore
what do carnivores eat
meat-eaters
what do herbivores eat
plant-eaters
what do omnivores eat
meat and plant- eaters
what are the 5 types of symbiotic relationships
mutualism, predation and parasitism, commensalism, competition, amensalism
which species benefits in mutualism
both species benefit
which species benefits in predation and parasitism
one species (the predator species)
which species benefits in commensalism
species A benefits and species B is unaffected
which species benefits in competition
neither species benefits
which species benefits in amensalism
species A is unaffected while the other species is negatively affected
what are the 2 ways human impacts have disrupted natural cycles of population
- population growth by removing limitations
- population decline by imposing new limitations
4 ways human impact population growth
- increase available resources (farming)
- Competitive release (poisoning of insect pests)
- Predator release (overhunting of large carnivores)
- Introduction to new areas (Game releases)
4 ways humans impact population decline
- habitat disruption (draining swap; toxic pollution)
- Introduction of new species (new predators)
- overkill (big-game hunting)
- secondary extinctions (loss of food species)
community
consists of all populations that inhabit a certain area
ecosystem
community + its physical environment
what does community analysis emphasize
the distribution of organisms through space and time (more “Structural”)
what does ecosystem analysis emphasize
the flow of energy and cycling of matter (more “functional”)
what does community diversity refer to
how many organisms occur in a community (“Species richness”)
latitudinal diversity gradient
describes the increase in terrestrial diversity closer toward the equator
depth diversity gradient
marine diversity increases as it approaches 2000 meters, then it decreases
succession
the sequential replacement of species in a community by immigration of new species and local extinction of old ones
what trends is succession characterized by
- decreasing productivity
- increasing biomass
- increasing diversity
what are pioneer species
species that colonize a site that was opened by disturbance.
what are the basic processes of a community
- energy flow
- matter cycling
T/F: matter and energy is only cycled on the lithosphere and hydrosphere
false; energy and matter is cycled through all the spheres
food web
describes the complex interrelationships by which organisms consume other organisms
biomass
the weight of living matter
what is the 1st trophic level also known as
feeding level
which organisms are on the 1st trophic level
producers
what do producers do
capture energy from the non-living environment
how do consumers get their energy
they derive their energy from the chemical energies stored in the bodies of producers or other consumers
what is Net Primary Productivity refer to
the rate at which producers can create biomass
what is the Net Secondary Productivity
the rate at which consumer and decomposers biomass is produced
T/F: Estuary and reefs are estimated to be 10 times more productive than many freshwater and other marine ecosystems
true!
T/F: 90% of the ocean is “marine desert” in productivity, so it has little effect on NPP
false, although 90% of the open ocean is “marine desert” it still makes a significant impact on net primary production
What are the 6 main biogeochemical cycles
C.H.O.N.P.S
Carbon
Hydrogen
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Phosphorus
Sulfur
How is carbon withdrawn from the atmosphere
photosynthesis
how is carbon returned to the atmosphere
combustion and respirations
(burning fuels and digesting food)
why do substances cycle at different rates
- depends on the chemical reactivity of the substance
- depends on if that substance has a gaseous phase at some point during the cycle
what are fossil fuels
fossilized plant materials that stored solar energy millions of years ago as chemical energy
T/F: Fossil Fuels are nonrenewable resources
True (duhhhh)
if we continue using oil at the rates we are using it today how many more years do we have left of it
~100 years
if we continue using coal at the rates we are using it today how many more years do we have left of it
~300-400 years
T/F: sun (solar polar) produces less energy than fossil fuels, which is why we continue to rely more on fossil fuels
false; in 1 month the sun can produce more energy than all the fossil fuels available worldwide
T/F: all the biogeochemical cycles are interconnected
yes, very true
1st law of thermodynamics
energy cannot be created nor destroyed but it can be transformed
2nd law of thermodynamics
energy can be transformed from one kind to another, but when it is, energy is degraded
what is the 2nd law aka
the law of increasing entropy
what is entropy
the amount of low-quality energy in a system
how many different biomes are on earth
9
how many terrestrial biomes? marine biomes?
7 terrestrial, and 2 marine biomes
what the the 9 different biomes
- tropical forest
- savanna
- tundra
- desert
- temperate forest
- grasslands
- taiga
- marine
- freshwater
T/F: biological evolution occurs from natural selection of individual variation
true, Darwin says so
how do peripheral isolates form
they form due to the reduction of a habitat thus leaving small isolated populations
biodiveristy
the variety and variability among living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur
how is biodiversity typically measured
by counting species (the more species rich a place is, the greater its biodiversity is)
what is a biome
a large-scale category that includes many communities of a similar nature
describe tropical rainforest
- high temps, rainfall, and biodiversity
- poor soils
describe savannas
- warm with prolonged dry seasons
- large predators and important insects
- fire resistant vegetation
describe deserts
- little rainfall
- high evaporation
- plant growth is lowest here
- xerophytes live there
describe gasslands
- scare rainfall
- rich soils from gases & little disturbances
- most heavily altered human biome
describe temperate forest
- adequate rainfall
- contains deciduous tree (pine, oak, and hickory)
- more vegetation than tropical forest
describe taigas
- boreal and coniferous forest (forests with low diversity due to harsh winters)
- evergreens dominate
- little disturbance for agriculture, but frequent clear-cutting for timber
describe tundras
- treeless area with frozen topsoil (except for 2 summer months)
- low biodiversity & low productivity due to permafrost conditions
- unaltered by humans
describe the marine biome
- contains more dissolved materials
- largest biome on earth
- divided into 2 zones (benthic and pelagic)
benthic zone
on the bottom of the ocean
pelagic zone
“suspended” zones
what is the photic zone in the ocean
the part of the ocean where light can penetrate and it contains the “life” of the ocean
describe the freshwater biomes
- covers ~2% of the earth
- Running water (rivers, streams) & standing waters (lakes, ponds)
- 3 zones (riparian, thermocline, shore zone)
what is the riparian zone
Area along a river containing species of plants that tolerate high moisture.
what is the thermocline
the sharp boundary between warm surface water and cold deeper waters
what is the shore zone
the transition land between land and water
what planet is earth from the sun
3rd planet from the sun
what brings molten rock to the surface
thermal convection cells
what forms the unifying theory that explains most geological structures observed on the surface of Earth
plate tectonics
what different natural happenings does the theory of plate tectonics explain
- continental movement
- mountain building
- sea floors creation and destruction
- volcanic eruptions
- earthquakes
how many tectonic plates is Earth’s lithosphere divided into
8 major plates
T/F: there is strong correlation between the plate boundaries and incidence of intense earthquakes and major volcanic eruptions
true
what causes plate movements
the convection currents in the Earth’s molten mantle
what is the lithosphere composed of
rocks or materials that was once composed of rock
what are rocks composed of
minerals
what are minerals composed of
minerals are composed of atoms of elements
what determines an atom’s atomic number
the number of protons in the nucleus
difference between weather and climate
climate is the average weather over a period of time, so climate is longer term
what are climate belts based on
climate belts are based on large-scale atmospheric cycles
what does the energy from the sun create around the Earth
a belt of convective circulation cells
what are the 3 types of convective circulation cells that stretch around Earth
- Hadley cell
- Ferrell cell
- Polar fronts and flows
which of the 3 circulation cells is responsible for our seasons changing
Ferrell cells
What are 2 factors that affect Earth’s patterns
- The tilt of Earth’s Axis (The Coriolis Effect)
- Earth’s topography
what are the 2 ways of measuring the strength/ intensity/ magnitude an Earthquake?
- The Richter Scale
- Mercalli Scale
difference between the Richter and Mercalli Scale
The Richter Scale is based on the amplitude of the seismic waves.
The Mercalli Scale is based on the observations made near the origin of the Earthquake.
what kind of scale is the Richter scale
a logarithmic scale
how do volcanic eruptions affect global climate change
releases more gas, ash, and dust into the atmosphere
where are volcanoes typically found
convergent or divergent boundaries
what are some examples of land instability
- landslides
- avalanches
- rockfalls
- mechanical soil failure
what are 2 types of tropical cyclones
hurricanes and typhoons
where do tropical cyclones typically form
over warm tropical seas
Do droughts results in a positive feedback loop?
Yes, droughts reduce evapotranspiration due to loss of plant life.
Why has resource management been unsustainable in the past
social, economic, and political pressures emphasize rapid use of resources
what is a resource
a source of raw materials used by society
what are reserves
the subset of resources that have been located and can be profitably extracted at current market prices
what are renewable resources
resources that can be replenished within few human generations
(timber, solar power, food)
what are nonrenewable resources
resources that take many human generations to be replenished
(coal, oil, ore deposits)
what are environmental externalities
the actual cost of products; resources are free
what is a green fee
gov’t or organization incentivizes use of sustainable materials/practices by charging more if materials used/practice done = unsustainble
what does the benefit-cost analysis (BCA) do
the helps evaluate the long and short term benefits and costs of resource exploitation
3 methods of resource management
- Preservation
- Conservation
- Restoration
what does preservation usually refer to
usually refers to non-use (of things like land - National parks)
What does conservation seek to do
input reduction; so it acknowledges the fact that there are some resources that humans will use regardless so it attempts to find a more sustainable way to use it
what does restoration seek to do
seeks to restore degraded resources to their original or close to its original state
many resources have 2 types of values which are…
intrinsic and extrinsic values
what does intrinsic values refer to
ethical values
what is another way to say extrinsic values
anthropocentric
what are the 4 extrinsic values
- Esthetic
- Emotional
- Economic
- Environmental services
what are the 2 basic inputs of the environment
matter and energy
how does a bubble pattern of depletion occur
though unsustainable use of resources
what are the 2 main causes of the bubble pattern
- Exponential depletion
- Exponential exploitation
when does exponential exploitation occur
occurs as long as the supply of resources exceed the demand
when does exponential decline occur
occurs when demand exceeds supply
how does society react to a decline in a resource
- intensify efforts to extract more of that resource
- reduce the need for the resource
what are the 2 concepts used to justify the efforts to extract more of the resource
- net yield of nonrenewable resource
- maximum sustainable yield of renewable resources
what is the net yield jusitification
the resource can still be extracted as long as the resources used in the extraction do not exceed the resources gained
what is the max sustainable yield (MSY)
MSY states that the optimum way to extract a renewable resource it to extract it until the harvest rate = renewable rate
what is optimum sustainable yield (OSY)
considers not just maximum yield, but how the harvest will affect other species in the
ecosystem and other human uses of the ecosystem, such as recreation.
T/F: harvest recommended by OSY is usually less than MSY
true, and this makes sense because it take more things into considerations (aka giving in more reasons NOT to extract said resource)
T/F: Both net yield and maximum sustainable yield have emphasized maximum resource use for long-term
economic gain.
false; it has emphasized max resource use for SHORT-term economic gain
3 ways to conserve:
Substitution (Reduce), Efficiency (Reuse), Recycle
T/F: the prices paid for metals, petroleum, and other natural resources do not reflect the true environmental costs
true, and if we priced the resources by taking the environmental costs into considering then it would discourage people from using it
T/F: sustainable jobs do not really produce jobs
false; sustainable jobs actually produce more jobs than unsustainable ones
what still remains to be a challenge to sustainability today?
modern resource exploitation
what is the key to creating a more sustainable environment
making resources more expensive and as it goes through society, do the 3 R’s; as this will lead to smaller sinks
